


As The Puzzle Pieces Fall

by Sins_of_the_Scruff



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Mystery, NSFW in later chapters, Reader Is Not Chara, Reader Is Not Frisk, more tags will be added as they come, slowish burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-28
Updated: 2017-11-02
Packaged: 2019-01-25 09:22:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12528128
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sins_of_the_Scruff/pseuds/Sins_of_the_Scruff
Summary: ~When the barrier broke, the monsters emerged ready to leave the Underground behind and begin new lives on the surface. But, deep within the quiet mountain, several secrets were left behind, secrets that would soon follow and erupt beyond the broken barrier. This story follows sans, papyrus, and the gang, along with a new human friend, that would soon unravel their mysterious past sifting through information to put together the Underground's history. As they search through the dust and remains, it soon becomes clear that some secrets were better left unrevealed...~





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this idea in the back of mind forever and just now does it decide to start to present itself properly. Enjoy as I try to write dialogue and suck at it! :)

The sun was barely rising over the mountains in the distance when the local coffee shop turned its sign over to let the cold, weary, and caffeine deprived patrons in to start their day. Its owner, Amber, was not a morning person in the slightest definition. What she was thinking when she opened the coffee shop near the university she worked at was it would just be a part job to meet the locals and be change of pace to what she did during her normal 9 to 5(and sometimes 10 or later) day to day schedule. It ended up being a hit with the locals and the students and soon she found herself having to spend less time at the college and more on grinding fresh beans and baking pastries for her customers in the early morning hours. 

Eventually, she put a pause on her studies and chose to run the coffee shoppe full time. It was quite the moneymaker and she realized she could put school aside for right now and pursue other interests She could work and meet people and save for a full course in the future. Besides, this little town was so interesting! She had come to live at the base of Mt. Ebott to start a new chapter in her life after hearing it was a steadily growing quiet town and then the monsters suddenly reappeared. 

When Amber saw the news of the monsters emerging from the sacred mountain as she unpacked boxes, she was beyond ecstatic. Being an avid history fan, and supernatural fanatic on the side, to hear that a race of creatures only known to legend were ACTUALLY REAL and ACTUALLY came from inside the mountain was amazing. She was very careful in the beginning as she watched the monsters from afar. More so to not invade their personal bubble or scare them, she was sure they were nervous around humans after being trapped for so long. There were all kinds of them and they all seemed nice with their little quirks that made them so individual.

She vaguely knew of the child turned ambassador, Frisk, who broke the barrier that kept them prison inside the mountain. They were a small, mute child that somehow was able to befriend the monsters and with the power of determination, freed them all. At least that's what the news condensed it to. She turned the tvs on, one to a local news channel, and then the other to MTTTV. Mettaton was so entertaining, even if he was full of himself sometimes. His version of the news was much, much more interesting than the local stuff. As the sun fully rose, the smell of fresh coffee emanated from the various pots along with fresh sausage rolls and pastries added to the comforting smell that Amber loved so much. 

A sudden jingle on the door, followed by a loud,  **_"GOOD MORNING, HUMANS!"_ ** had her smiling from ear to ear as she finished an order for one of the customers. The tall, lanky skeleton monster named Papyrus was one of her few monster customers that came regularly. He was a particularly loud and jovial monster, always so positive about anything and everything, especially if it was about spaghetti. On the first encounter with him, he had actually asked why she looked so solemn while serving him. She told him she wasn't much of a morning person to which he replied,  **_"BUT HOW COULD YOU NOT LOVE THE MORNING?! SEEING THE RISING OF THE SUN IS SUCH A WONDERFUL AND ENERGIZING FEELING! I HAVE ONLY SEEN THE SUN FOR THE PAST 64 DAYS, BUT IT FEELS LIKE I'M SEEING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME EVERY MORNING! IT'S THE KIND OF FEELING LIKE WHEN YOU MAKE A PERFECT POT OF SPAGHETTI...BUT WITH MINIMAL FIRES!"_ **

His voice continued to ramble on in the background as Amber took a moment to realize the monsters probably had never seen the sun before they were released. Right then and there, Amber realized just how much she took for granted in life. Whatever hurdle she had to jump, it couldn't be as bad as what they went through _.  _ **_"H-HUMAN, ARE YOU LISTENING?! I WOULD LIKE ONE OF THOSE CREAMY, TALL DRINKS YOU CALL COFFEE!"_ ** She snapped back into reality and smiled at him,  _ "Let's see what we got Mr...."  _ He immediately got flustered,  **_"O-OH, HOW RUDE OF ME, HUMAN. I, AM THE GREAT PAPYRUS!"_ **

He did a little heroic pose and Amber couldn't help but laugh a little,  _ "Oh! I did not realize I was in the presence of someone so heroic! I'm Amber!" _ A slight dusting of orange graced his cheekbones and he seemed to turn in on himself a bit as he fiddled with his gloves,  **"I-I AM FLATTERED BY YOUR COMPLIMENT, HU-AMBER."** Amber smiled as she reached for a tall cup,  _ "well, Papyrus, one such as great as yourself only deserves the very best! How does a vanilla bean frappuccino sound to you?" _ His eye sockets seemed to take a shine as he nodded happily. After that initial meeting, he would come in every morning to get his drink and have a small chat with her. She took a liking to him and enjoyed his company.

He would talk about his current job as a royal guardsman, even though they were no longer protecting royalty and were more like a police force for the monsters. He liked the guardsman title better than lieutenant. He was going to cooking school on the side and loved talking about his favorite meal, spaghetti. He whispered that he would never cheat on his spaghetti, but fettuccine noodles were quickly winning over his soul. Then, there was Undyne who was his best friend and Captain of the Guardsmen, whom he spoke VERY highly of. She was proficient in fighting and cooked with fiery ferocity. He awkwardly noted she burnt down her house on more than one occasion in the Underground and that she ordered out far more often now. After going to cooking school for the past month, he realized you're not actually supposed to use extreme heat with everything you made. But, he was still encouraged to cook with the same amount of passion, which he did so without fail. 

When Amber asked if he had any family, he got really quiet. He said he didn't really remember if he had parents, but quickly brightened when he mentioned his brother, sans, raised him. It was obvious he cared a lot about him and in turn, his brother cared just as much, if not more. Amber had seen sans before and met him when Papyrus carried him in one morning on his shoulder and slid him unceremoniously to the ground.

**_"SANS! GET ON YOUR FEET, YOU LAZYBONES. AMBER, THIS IS MY BROTHER, SANS. SANS, THIS IS THE NICE HUMAN I WAS TALKING TO YOU ABOUT!"_** A hand shot up and grabbed the counter as a much shorter, stocky skeleton got to his feet. He looked just as awake as she did in his faded blue jacket and black basketball shorts complete with pink fuzzy slippers and added a long yawn, _"Yeesh, Paps, you're gonna wake the whole neighborhood if you keep shouting like that at this hour."_ He glanced over to Amber and smiled lazily, _"'Sup? You the one I hear makin' my bro all those sugary concoctions? I swear, the last one he had, he made homemade spaghetti noodles for 12 hours straight."_ Papyrus interrupted, **_"IT WAS MY BEST WORK! THE NOODLES WERE MADE TO PERFECTION!"_** Sans waved his hand, _"yeah, they were, Paps. Why don't you go find us a table to sit at and I'll get us some grub."_ Papyrus frowned, **_"IT'S NOT GRUB, IT'S BREAKFAST! IT'S VERY IMPORTANT."_**

He continued to grumble as he went in search for the perfect table. Sans waited till Papyrus was out of earshot and leaned in close, his expression turning very serious despite the permagrin on his face.  _ "Look, I see Paps has taken a liking to you and that you're treating him good so far,"  _ Amber felt the air grow cold as time seemed to stop as he leaned as close as he could, his eye lights extinguishing to leave hollow, dark sockets to glare into her own eyes,  _ "but, if I should hear that you've hurt him in ANY way...you'll be dead where you stand." _ Amber knew that among the talk of monsters some were referred to as 'Boss' Monsters, ones you did not want to get on their bad side in any way. She quickly figured sans was one of them and nodded her head furiously. _ "I understand, sans."  _

Suddenly, the cold air left and the sounds of the coffee shop filled the silence again. Sans was munching on a muffin he had somehow snagged from behind the counter,  _ "Perfect, now how's about we get a double on those fraps my bro keeps talking about and like six of these sweet muffins?" _ Amber obliged and she spent the morning slightly on edge as she chatted with Papyrus as sans would stare at her with that same grin. She was still weary of sans from that day on, but she knew as long as she maintained her friendship with Papyrus, she wouldn't worry about seeing that look from sans again...hopefully. 

Sans remained on friendly terms with her, often filling her life with incessant puns and fun, little practical jokes. He was funny, and after she met and saw the former queen, Toriel, interact with him, it was clear he was smitten with her and she often rubbed it in his face. He turned the prettiest shade of cerulean and flipped his hood to pull it tight and would mumble something probably rude back to her. Meeting the rest of the close knit of friends was interesting to say the least, but she welcomed them with open arms...and plenty of coffee.

 

* * *

 

Today was a slow day as Amber turned the sign over and yawned loudly as she banished the sleep from her body. The normal customers staggered in and shook the snow off, grateful for the hot coffee that awaited them. Amber was able to hire a young college student to help out in the mornings which gave her the ability to spend more time with Papyrus when he came by. As if on cue, the bell on the door jingled wildly and the not as loud voice rang through the crowded coffeehouse,  **_"GOOD MORNING, HUMANS!"_ **

Most said good morning right back in group form as they had gotten used to his entrance. Some people came back for the coffee and for Papyrus' bright disposition. They found it was it a good way to start their day on a good note and Papyrus was more than happy to see that others went about their day just as happy as he was. At this point, Papyrus had come around so much, he and Amber had a special table near the back that was all their own. He had promised her some of his spaghetti that he had made the night before and she was excited to have something other than pastries.

He came with a large basket and set it on the table. She surprised him with a hug,  _ "Good morning, Papyrus!"  _ It took a moment, but he eventually returned the hug, lifting her off the ground in a strong hug.  **_"HELLO, MISS AMBER! I HAVE BROUGHT THE SPAGHETTI FOR YOU TO ENJOY!"_ ** He set her back down and Amber finally took in a breath, he was strong enough to easily cut off her air intake, she'd have to remember that next time she wanted a hug. _"Sounds good, Papyrus, I've been waiting a long time to finally taste your food."_

She smiled as that same orange glow she was used to covered his cheekbones,  **_"I-I-I'M SURE YOU HAVE, I HAD TO MAKE SURE THE COOKING WAS PERFECT BEFORE BRINGING IT TO YOU. ONLY THE BEST FOR PAPYRUS AND FRIENDS."_ ** Amber dove into the basket and pulled out the warm container marked 'SPAGHETTI' and set them aside while she put the basket on the ground. Papyrus sat and pulled his long legs to the side so as to not trip anyone. She was going to have to look into getting new tables and chairs so that all could be comfortable. 

The first container was opened and the heavenly aroma of marinara and spices wafted into her nose. She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath and let it permeate every part of her senses _. "Oh wow, Papyrus, this smells great!"  _ She opened her eyes to see him holding a fork and presenting it to her. She took it and jabbed it in the sauciest part of the container and twisted, gathering several noodles. She brought the fork up to her mouth and took a quick glance at Papyrus who seemed quite nervous if the rattling she heard was any indication.

She took a bite and swore she saw some heavenly based food god flash before her eyes. The noodles were tender, perfectly cooked and the sauce, oh god, THE SAUCE. She had never tasted something so delicious! Each chew brought forth a new spice and she hoped she didn't moan in pleasure, she'd be absolutely mortified if she did. Instead, she put the fork down and grabbed Papyrus' gloved hand to hold it gently, but firmly,  _ "This, is the best spaghetti I have ever had. No jokes, no tricks, but I don't think I'm going to be able to share it with you. It's that good."  _ The orange glow that rested on his cheekbones quickly took over the rest of his skull making him almost look like a pumpkin and he stuttered,  **_"TH-THANK YOU, HU-MISS AMBER! I HAVE NOT HAD PRAISE LIKE THAT BEFORE!"_ **

She grabbed the fork for another bite,  _ "I don't believe you, this stuff is amazing! I'm surprised you haven't opened your own restaurant! You'd make a killing with this dish."  _ Papyrus couldn't get any more orange as he pulled his hand away and threatened to pull his scarf over his face as he responded much quieter, **_"You are too kind, Miss Amber. B-back in the Underground, my talents were not as great even with my title. After the tiny human freed us, and I received the chance to go learn to cook from a professional, I learned what I had been cooking was far from great. It was...bad...really bad."_ **

He looked sad, and she grabbed at his hands, this time taking both and holding them,  _ "Even if you started out with yarn and snow as marinara with glitter as a garnish, you continued to cook to your very best effort. And hey, everyone has to start out somewhere, just look how far you've gotten! This is something to be proud of!"  _ He squeezed her hands and his trademark grin returned,  **_"YOU ARE RIGHT, MISS AMBER. I HAVE EXCELLED PAST MY MISTAKES AND HAVE LEARNED MANY NEW THINGS TO AID IN MY QUEST FOR THE BEST SPAGHETTI!"_ ** Amber smiled,  _ "not the best spaghetti, the GREATEST spaghetti!"  _ They both started to laugh when the door opened and sans walked in. He saw them in the back holding hands and when she glanced over at him, the flash of blue in his right eye light sent a weird feeling like something was crawling down her back...

Nearly 20 minutes later, Amber glared at sans as he sat eating a plate of spaghetti next to his brother. When he showed up, Papyrus had happily shared their meal with him. Only when Papyrus leaned over and whispered that there was another whole container for her did she lighten up.  _ "so, what brings you to this side of the mountain?", _ sans asked through a mouth full of spaghetti.  **_"SANS, DON'T TALK WITH YOUR MOUTH FULL. IT'S RUDE."_ ** Sans merely shrugged and waited for Amber to answer. She finished chewing and replied,  _ "Well, originally I moved when I got a job at the college a couple blocks away in the history wing. I was working on becoming a historian when you all showed up."  _ Sans actually finished chewing this time,  _ "Didn't peg you as the bookworm type, heh, then again, you shouldn't just a book by its cover." _

Papyrus groaned as Amber shrugged, " _ History's very special to me. Learning about where people came from, what their ancestors did no matter if it was good or bad, how their culture shaped their society, etc. Stuff like that fascinates me. Do monsters have historians?"  _ Sans set his fork down and went quiet,  _ "kid, most of our history ain't something one can talk about lightly. We've been through a lot and-"  _ Papyrus cut in,  **_"BUT SANS, SHE DID SAY THAT SHE LIKES TO LEARN THE HISTORY WHETHER IT IS GOOD OR BAD. PERHAPS WE CAN FINALLY FIGURE OUT WHERE WE CAME FROM! SHE CAN MEET WITH THE QUEEN AND-"_ ** Sans quickly interrupted,  _ "Paps, it's Toriel, remember? No more queen, no more king, no more Royal Guard! Some things are better left undiscovered..."  _ Amber was silent, realizing she had poked a touchy subject and decided to change said subject before things got any messier.

_ "Hey, I-I'm sorry for bringing it up, let's just forget it, ok?" _ She glanced up at the clock and rose out of her chair,  _ "thanks for the spaghetti, Papyrus, I'll definitely be snacking on this throughout the day. I've got to go back to work, but maybe I'll see you tomorrow?" _ She didn't give him time to respond before she fled into the back kitchen. Papyrus glared at Sans, thoroughly irritated,  **_"ARE YOU HAPPY, SANS? THE ONE HUMAN OTHER THAN FRISK THAT I'VE MET AND MADE FRIENDS WITH AND YOU DRIVE HER AWAY."_ ** Sans ground his hands into his sockets as he leaned on the table,  _ "I didn't mean...*sigh* You wouldn't get it, Paps. A lot...a lot of things happened in the past. I don't think you're ready for it to-"  _

Papyrus slammed his hands on the table hard enough to rattle everything around, **_"I AM NOT A BABYBONES ANYMORE, SANS. YOU DO NOT GET TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT I AM 'READY FOR IT'. I WISH YOU TRUSTED ME ENOUGH TO LET GO OF THESE SECRETS AND BE TRUTHFUL WITH ME."_ ** He gathered up his dishes and placed them back in the basket,  **_"PERHAPS YOU HAVE MORE TO LEARN FROM THE HUMANS."_ ** He left without another word and apologized to the other patrons who were surprised to see any sort of outburst from the tall skeleton. Sans was left to sit in silence as his frap slowly grew warm and whipped cream melted down the sides of the cup.

 

Things were supposed to be easier when the Barrier fell.


	2. Chapter 2

It was a couple days later before Papyrus showed back up at the coffeehouse. Amber was afraid that the last conversation had caused a rift between the two brothers and she hated herself for being part in causing it. She sighed in defeat as she cleaned the coffee pots and restocked the sugar and creamer. " _Hello, young one, might we partake in your delicious hot chocolate?"_ A sweet voice broke her from her thoughts and when she turned, she looked up to see a large goat woman smiling. _"Oh! You're Toriel!"_ Amber nearly dropped what she was carrying to rush over to the counter, _"Yes, I am. I was recommended to come here by a good friend and brought along my children for some hot chocolate on this cold, dreary day."_ Amber leaned over the counter and saw the small child, Frisk, who was carrying a potted flower who was scowling at her. She realized she was staring too long when it hissed at her and Toriel took the plant to give a glare of her own that could freeze hellfire _. "Flowey, you will remain polite or no hot chocolate!"_ The flower crossed his leaves in annoyance, but stayed quiet. Amber was definitely not ready for that, but she grabbed a large cup with 2 children sized cups and poured fresh hot chocolate into each.

She guided the three to the table in the back and set the drinks down and let them get comfortable. Toriel excused herself to the washroom and left her with the two...children. Frisk had a little smile on their face as they gulped down the delicious drink. Flowey merely looked at its leaves and then to the drink and glared at it. Thinking quickly, Amber got a straw and the whip cream dispenser and came back to the table, _"No telling mom, ok?"_ Frisk smiled while Flowey looked at her in confusion. She shook the canister up before spraying a good 6 inches worth of whip cream on the tops of their hot chocolate. She bent the straw and placed it in Flowey's and pushed the cup towards the bewildered flower. _"Don't expect a thank you, human,"_ it snapped before taking a sip and quickly pulling back as the hot liquid burned whatever tongue they possessed. Frisk was silently laughing and dove into their whipped cream mountain. _"Shut up, Frisk! It's not funny!"_ Toriel returned to the table to find Frisk clutching their sides in laughter while Flowey desperately licked at the whip cream to relieve the burning. Toriel turned to Amber with an annoyed mom look to which she just shrugged and laughed, _"Kids, what are you gonna do with them?"_

She brought some sweets over for them to enjoy and Toriel motioned for her to sit. _"I have been meaning to meet you finally after hearing so many good things from Papyrus!"_ Amber blushed a little bit, _"U-uh, it's very nice to meet you, too! Papyrus is a real sweetheart."_ Toriel nodded and took a bite of one of the sweetbreads, _"These are delicious! I must get the recipe from you! I have some talent with pies, but I wish to expand my baking."_ Amber smiled, _"It's my mother's recipe, I have a little box with her hand written recipes that I try every once in awhile. It seems I at least got her cooking talent from her."_ Toriel finished her snack and drank the hot chocolate, _"Well, I must say, I did come for the hot chocolate, but Papyrus happened to mention to me that you are a person that studies history?"_ Amber froze, not knowing what exactly to say but knew lying would probably put her in a bad spot with the former queen, " _Yes ma'am, I, uh, I was going to school to become a historian when my little coffeeshoppe took off. I still like to do some stuff on the side, but it's nothing major."_ Toriel nodded as her gaze went to her hot chocolate, _"I do not want to put you on the spot, but I wish to recover some of our history for the children at my school. Not all of it is pleasant to revisit, but I feel as a teacher I owe it to my students to explain where they came from."_

Amber understood perfectly, with her own mother teaching history to elementary students, she knew all too well that feeling to want to teach the past, even if it was not good. If you do not know and understand your history, you are doomed to repeat it.Toriel must have noted her reluctance and waved it off, _"I'm sorry, my dear, please don't worry about it. I understand that I put you on the spot and-"_ Amber interjected, _"No, no! That sounds fascinated and I'd be honored to help you piece together your history. I just worry about some who'd rather not poke around in the past...especially if it'a human looking up that history."_ Toriel's expression fell, _"So sans did say something...when Papyrus came to me he mentioned that his brother and him were in the midst of an argument. He confided that he wanted to know more about where the two of them came from. When I expressed to sans that I feel gathering our races' history would be beneficial for future monsters and humans, he became defensive and distant. I do not know what he is worried about, but I feel I must put the needs of the many past the few who object."_ Frisk pulled on Toriel's shoulder and signed something to her, _"Yes, I know my child, but we cannot push him to reveal what is bothering him. He will let us know when he is ready."_ Flowey flicked the now empty cup over, spilling the remains of the drink, _"about time that smiley trashbag had something to frown about."_ He started to cackle, but stopped when Toriel swiftly brought the pot close to her face and glared the way only a mother could and shut Flowey down from whatever tirade he was ready to go on.

Amber thought for a moment, she'd absolutely love to dive into the monster history and catalog every event that she could, but she also didn't want to keep driving a stake between sans and Papyrus. Toriel noticed her deep in thought and smiled, _"No need for an answer right now, dear. Let me know as soon as you are comfortable to do so."_ She glanced down at her watch and quickly scooped up Flowey, who was attempting to shoot a paper straw at Frisk, _"Come now, children, we must head to the grocery store before it closes. Miss Amber, do think about my proposition. Good bye!"_ Amber waved as Toriel left with Flowey in one hand and Frisk in the other. Amber continued to sit and ponder her choices, it had been so long since she got to do any type of history excursion and while she loved her little coffee shoppe, her blood was boiling to dive back into the thing she loved most. Eventually, she sighed and collected the cups and threw them in the trash and grabbed a rag to clean the table. She frowned as there were bits of straw paper littered in tiny bits under Flowey's chair.

The door jingled as another patron came in, but she paid them no mind as she got down on her hands and knees with the tiny broom and dustpan to clean the mess the flower had made. Her lower back throbbed in pain as she bent awkwardly to finish cleaning, _'Man, I need hire more college kids to do this shit.'_ **_"UH, MISS AMBER?"_ ** A voice from above startled her as she reared up and slammed her head into the table, _"Oh son of a-!"_ She bit her tongue, she couldn't afford to curse here at her job, but at home though? She was the saltiest salior in the sea and no amount of soap would be able to cleanse her mouth free of the rubbish that spewed forth if she was injured, or worse, angry. She awkwardly shuffled out from underneath and let out a small squeak when she felt hands wrap around her waist as she was picked up and placed on top of the table. **_"I AM SORRY, MISS AMBER, I DID NOT MEAN TO STARTLE YOU. ARE YOU HURT?"_ ** After the initial daze left, she refocused on Papyrus who stared down at her in worry. She rubbed the sore spot and felt the slight bump that was starting to accompany it, _"don't worry, Papyrus, just knocked a few marbles loose in the noggin. I should be fine though."_ He still looked concerned, but she reassured him again, _"Hey, don't feel bad, I spook easily. It's nothing a short break won't cure...and maybe a hug?"_

Papyrus' eyes lit back up and he carefully wrapped his arms around and picked her up for a tight hug. She returned the gesture and he made a contented **_'NYEH'_ ** sound. He gently placed her back on the ground and she sat back in her chair and rubbed her sore head. _"Haven't seen you around much, Papyrus. Is everything ok? Look, if it's because I brought up the whole history thing, I'm sorry I made your brother upset with you and-"_ Papyrus shook his head, **_"YOU DID NOTHING WRONG, MISS AMBER. MY BROTHER...HE...WENT THROUGH A LOT WHILE IN THE UNDERGROUND. THERE'S A LOT HE WON'T TELL ME, BUT I REMEMBER THE NIGHTMARES HE WOULD HAVE. WHERE I'D WAKE TO HIS SCREAMS AND RUN TO HIS ROOM TO SEE HIM CONVULSING AND HIS MAGIC RUNNING AMOK."_ ** He glanced away and stared at the ground for a moment before sighing heavily, **_"I WOULD CATCH CERTAIN PHRASES HE WOULD MUMBLE LIKE, 'WHY'D YOU DO IT, KID?! WHAT DID HE EVER DO TO YOU?! HE TRUSTED YOU!' AND THEN WHEN I WOULD HOLD HIM TILL HE WOKE, HE WOULDN'T TALK ABOUT IT OR JUST AVOIDED IT ALTOGETHER. I HAD HOPED WITH THE BARRIER BROKEN, HE WOULD START TO OPEN UP, BUT TORIEL ADVISED THAT THINGS LIKE THIS TAKE TIME AND THAT I SHOULD BE PATIENT."_ **

He went really quiet and tears beaded on the side of sockets, **_"I JUST FEEL LIKE SINCE WE'RE BROTHERS, HE SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE TO TELL ME ABOUT EVERYTHING AND NOT FEEL JUDGED. WHY WON'T HE TRUST ME?"_ ** Amber stood and pushed past the dizziness and went around the table to hug Papyrus. She stroked his skull lightly as he turned and wrapped his own arms around her, his bones rattled as she felt her shirt dampen with his tears." _Shh, shh, don't cry, Papyrus. I know that sans loves and trusts you very much, but when someone goes through something particulary hard or tragic, it can be very hard to reach out, even to family. Sans only wants the best for you and whatever burden he has, he doesn't want you to share the brunt of it."_ Papyrus snuggled closer as he continued to cry, **_"I'M STRONG ENOUGH TO HANDLE IT."_ ** Amber heard whispers and looked up to see customers staring at them. She glared harshly and they quickly turned away, back to whatever they were doing. She let him cry for as long as he needed, continuing to give gentle reassurance before he finally pulled away, sniffing lightly. **_"OH, I'M TERRIBLY SORRY, I'VE GOTTEN MY TEARS ALL OVER YOUR SHIRT."_ **

Amber looked down to see a pretty large wet spot where his head had snuggled into and simply shrugged, _"I've gotten more hot coffee spilled on me than your tears, and besides, I'm more worried about you. Are you going to be ok?"_ His smile returned, albeit with tears still running down his face, **_"Y-YES, I THINK SO. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO DO THAT. I FELT IF I DID NOT TALK TO SOMEONE SOON, I WOULD BREAK."_ ** Amber caressed his cheekbone and wiped away the last few tears, _"Papyrus, whenever you feel the need to talk, please don't hesitate to come to me. I'll make the time to let you vent. Venting is good for the soul."_ Papyrus looked down and through the sweater he wore, there was a muted orange glow. He pulled his scarf down to cover it as his face went bright orange, **_"I...IT...WELL, THIS IS AWKWARD."_ ** Amber simply smiled, _"comfort is good for the soul, Papyrus. Now, let's get cleaned up and I think some hot chocolate will do us some good."_

20 minutes later, Amber was in a fresh company shirt and was enjoying a piping cup of hot cocoa with Papyrus. He seemed nervous about something as he drank, his expression caught in a contemplating manner. When she heard the slight rattle to his bones, she broke the silence, _"Is there something on your mind, Papyrus?"_ With his name called, he was shaken from his concentration, **_"NYEH! UH...YES, HU-MISS AMBER, I DO HAVE A QUESTION. BUT IT IS ONE THAT I'VE NEVER ASKED BEFORE."_ ** Amber threw her empty drink in the trash and gave him her full attention, _"what's on your mind, bone boy?"_ His sockets suddenly grew wide as his jaw opened and closed, but no sound came out. Amber started to laugh, this was the first time she'd ever witnessed a flabbergasted Papyrus and she snapped her fingers in his face. _"Yoo hoo? You still with me, Papyrus?"_ He shook his head and got serious. **_"MISS AMBER, I....WOULD YOU....UH.."_ ** He scrunched his sockets and took a deep breath before all but screaming, **_"NYEH! HUMAN, WOULD YOU DO THE GREAT PAPYRUS THE HONOR OF BEING MY DATE MATE TOMORROW NIGHT?!"_ **

He clamped his scarf over his mouth when he realized he was louder than he intended to be as he stared at Amber. She was wide eyed and her mouth had dropped open in surprise. They simply stared at one another for a moment or two before she finally responded, " _Are you asking me out on a date, Papyrus?"_ Still having the scarf covering his mouth, he nodded and only offered a muffled, **_"YES"_ ** . Amber wasted no time and responded with a warm smile, _"Why of course, the Human would be honored to be your datemate."_ Orange color seemed to erupt from underneath the scarf and took over his entire skull. He leapt to his feet and shouted, **_"NYEH HEH HEH! THE GREAT PAPYRUS HAS A DATE! HOW...GREAT!"_ ** A small group of customers clapped and whistled for him and he suddenly went still, looking embarrassed. **_"I MUST GO NOW, MISS AMBER, AND PREPARE FOR OUR DATE! TH-THANK YOU FOR THE HOT COCOA, HAVE A GOOD DAY!"_ ** With that, he fled the coffee house and continued to yell down the road that he had a date. Amber smiled as a warmth bubbled up in her chest that she hadn't felt in a long time and she couldn't be any happier.

* * *

The street lamps were just turning on when Amber locked up her shop and started home, hopeful to get there quick as the snow had started falling once more. Bundled in several layers with the scarf, she trudged along the snowpacked park towards her apartment home. In the summer, the park would normally be packed with students and food carts, but with the heavy winter they were experiencing, not a soul in sight could be seen. Well, at least not a human soul that is. She marched up to the tiny wooden shack and spotted sans...sleeping. Shaking her head, she knocked once, then twice on his skull lightly, _"Knock knock"_ A slight grumble is what she got in return as he sat up and blinked the sleep from his sockets. His eyes went wide though when he recognized who it was. _"Amber? Geez, what are you doing out in the cold? Get in here!"_ With a flick of his wrist, the small door opened on the side and she jumped in, brushing snow off. _"I figured you'd still be here. Do you realize what time it is?"_

He yawned and looked around, _"Looks like half past closing time to me."_ Amber rolled her eyes, _"You're a skeledork."_ He brushed off the imaginary dust off his jacket, _"the one and only! So, why are you out so late tonight? Usually you're already home by now."_ Amber shrugged, _"Papyrus came by the shoppe today. He had something to tell me, but ended up cying in my arms for a little bit."_ Suddenly, sans' expression hardened as whisps of magic emanated from a quickly brightening socket. She felt a pull on her soul as she was dragged forward roughly, her knees hitting the floor. **_"W h a t  d i d  y o u  d o ,  h u m a n ?"_ **  She struggled to get herself right as her own anger flared at his accustory action _, "UGH, STOP SANS. I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING. HE WAS CRYING BECAUSE OF YOU!"_ The crushing weight suddenly lifted and Amber collapsed to the ground. She took a couple breaths before glaring up at him, "he came to me for something else, but when I first tried to apologize for how the last conversation went, he shed a little light on you. Do you know how hurt he feels that you won't open up to him?" Everything extinguished in his sockets as he took a step away from her. She rose shakily to her feet, "I won't try to understand what you went through right now. I've not earned the right to know that information, but Papyrus, he's been your brother for god knows how long you've been alive. Whatever burden you're carrying on your shoulders, he just wants to help you through it. He loves you very much, sans. You owe it to him to at least let him in on some of whatever it is."

sans continued backwards till he hit the front of the shack and crumpled to the ground, bringing his knees to his chest and sniffling as tears began to shed freely. _"I can't do that, kid. It's...too painful and he doesn't deserve to carry that on his shoulders. I just want him to be carefree and happy, y'know? He's doing so much better than I thought he would when the Barrier broke. I...I'm fine handling it myself."_ Amber kept her distance, but sat down and winced as her chest was still sore from the manhandling of her soul. _"Sorry about that,"_ he gestured to his soul, _"I just get so worked up if Papyrus is hurt in any way. I have to keep watch over him. I HAVE TO."_ Amber made a few educated guesses that whatever plagued sans from the Underground, Papyrus was definitely apart of it. _"You're not doing Papyrus any favors by hovering over everything he does, sans. The human world isn't always nice and sooner or later, you get your feelings hurt, but Papyrus is strong enough to bounce back from anything that comes his way. He's got enough optimism to wrap around the Earth twice and then still have some left over."_ She looked around at the boxes upon boxes of ketchup and mustard and fished a ketchup bottle out and threw it to him, _"You're obviously not fine and Papyrus, myself, even Toriel knows it. Papyrus wants to see you happy, without the nightmares. If that means, he has to learn some unpleasant things, he's willing to go through with it. Trust your brother, sans."_

He stared at the bottle of ketchup, and sloppily wiped away his tears, _"Y'know, we haven't met too many nice humans like you and the kid. But, I suppose you're right, there's no use in holding onto the past anymore."_ Amber nodded and slowly rose to her feet and walked over, offering a hand. He took it and she pulled but nothing happened. He stayed on the ground and felt like he weighed like a rock. _"Sorry kid, (INSERT PUN HERE, GIRL!!)."_ She released his hand, _"fine, get up on your own."_ He chuckled and hoisted himself up, flicking the top the ketchup bottle open to take a big swig. He flicked the 'CLOSED' sign with his magic and the two set out for their homes. Sans and Papyrus lived in the building just before hers, so she made sure sans got home safe. He slowly climbed the steps and knocked, his brother swiftly opening the door, **_"SANS, YOU LAZYBONES, WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK!"_ ** He was half dressed in some sort of bizarre outfit...were those...basketballs on his shoulders?" He realized that Amber was just behind his brother and shrieked as he shut the door, " **_NYEH! THE MANUEL SAYS TO AVERT GAZES FOR 24 HOURS BEFOREHAND, SO THAT IT MAY BE A SURPRISE! HOW COULD YOU, SANS?!"_ **

Sans turned and was noticeably confused, _"what is he talking about?"_ Amber already dealt with sans upset once today, she wasn't going for a second round as she started backing up and making her way to her set of stairs, _"it's what he came into the coffee shop for. He asked me out on a date."_ The look on sans' face was priceless accompanied by the loud squirting noise had her laughing loudly as she unlocked her door. She called out just before the door shut, _"Have a good night, boys."_ sans was left on the doorstep with ketchup all over himself, the bottle having been destroyed when he crushed it in his hand.

 

**_The sins are on the rise..._ **


End file.
